Device for equalizing strain on hoisting ropes



June 27, 1933. W p FROST 1,915,486

DEVICE FOR EQUALIZING STRAIN ON HoIsTING ROPES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 www 637?" June 27, 1933. w. P. FROST 1,915,486

DEVICE FOR EQUALIZING STRAIN ON HOISTING ROPES .Filed Jan. 27'. 1932 zsheets-sheet 2 Patented June 27, 1933 TENT OFFICE i WILLIAM, FROST,JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR TO EVANS ELEVATOR EQUALIZERCOMPANY, OF BEDFORD, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OEV INDIANA DEVICE FOREQUALIZING STRAIN ON I-IOISTING `ROPES Application led January 27, 1932.

My present invention relates to a device for equalizing the strain upona group of hoisting ropes or other tension members connected to a commonload, as an elevator car, or the counterweight of such a. car. In mypending application for patent, filed January l0, 1931, Serial No. 507,967 I have illustrated l and described a novel equalizing device forthe purpose mentioned in which pairs of upper floating pulleys connectedto the hoisting ropes and pairs of lower pulleys pivoted to the car areemployed and in which two strands of equalizing cable engagingfsaidpulleys are employed as the connecting and equalizing rigging. Mypresent invention is in some respects a modification of the constructioncovered by said application and among its objects are the provision ofimprovements in the construction of the pull bars connected to thehoisting ropes and the safety frame through which the pull'bars eX-tend, improvements in the construction of the bearing members in whichthe lower pulleys are mounted, and improvementsin the arrangementiof therigging by which the tension upon the two strands of the equalizingcable is equalized. In the appended claims I have more particularlypointed out the essential elements of my invention and distinguished itfrom the prior art so far as known to me.

In the drawings Figure 1 is what may be termed a side view of my novelequalizing device;

Fig. 2 is a' transverse vertical section of the device near one endthereof, the plane of the section being indicated by the dott-ed line 22 of Fig. 1; Y A

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Y

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of the device;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section in a plane indicated by thedotted line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the pull bars 15, detached;

Fig. 7 is a fragmental vertical section showing'the construction of theconnection Serial No. 589,144.

between one of the shackle bolts secured to the which are shown, itbeing understood that the ropes travel around a suspension or hoistingpulley and are connected at their opposite ends to a counterweight, asusual in elevator installations. By means of my novel equalizing devicethe hoisting ropes are connected to the cross-head members B of the car,fragments only of which are shown, the car being assumed to be of theusual construction employing as such cross-head members structural ironbeams which are of channel shape in cross-section.

The bearings by means of which the lower pairs of twin pulleys orcontiguous parallel lower pulleys are pivotally connected to the car areformed in bearing lugs extendingk downwardly from a bearing plate 1which is disposed within the depending front and rear flanges of a'channel plate 2 supported by a pair of lower cross-bars 3 3 of angleiron which extend Linder the bottom flangesY ,of the cross-head membersB of the car above referred to. To providel for connecting the channelplate 2 to the cross bars 3 the flanges of the former are cut away for ashort ldistance at opposite lends of' the plate and the cross bars areoriiiced to receive the ends 2"L of the cross portion of the plateprojecting beyond the line of the cuts. Clamping bolts l 5 engaging thecross bars 3 and upper cross bars 6 serve to clamp the cross bars andthrough them the entire equalizing device to the cross-head members B ofthe car frame.

The bearing plate 1 is formed with apair of bolt holes at each endarranged to receive frame bolts 7 arranged to support a comwhicharespaced apart byy a pair oftrunnion V paratus are individually connectedeach to a blocks 11 at each end of the plates,vf'l`he trunnions of theblocks project into orifices -i'n the plates formed to receive themandthe plates-are securedY together by screwswhich serve as guides forseparating and guiding the pull bars later to be described. Theseconnecting screws have headsY engaging the outer plates 8 and 9 andthreaded end engaging seats in the inner plate 10, and are arranged instaggered relation on opposite Vsides of said yinner plate toaccommodatethe staggered arrangement of the pull bars.

The trunnion blocks are oriiiced vertically to receive the bolts 7 ,Aanda pair of orificed bearing plates 12, one at cach end of the frameplates, are arranged above said plates and the trunnion blocks atopposite ends ofl the plates.. -A spacingy sleeve 13 surrounds each bolt7v between `the bearing plate and the several trunnions, and the guideframe "is .clamped down upon these spacing sleeves by nuts engaging thethreaded ends of the bolts.

Thehoisting ropes A of theelevator appairloffcontiguous parallel uppervfloating .pulleys .which by means of anV equalizing cable are connectedkto the lower pulleys secured in the manner alreadyy described `tothecar. Each such rope is secured to a rope socket forming part of` ashackle bolt 14 v which is adjustably secured to the upper end of a pullbar 1,5, loosely passing through one ofthespaces between the frameplates and connectingscrews of the guide frame.

The pull bars, as shown, consist each of two, parallel side portions1616 connected at the top by a cross-head portion 17 orificed to providefor connection with the associated shackle bolt. This connection (see Fig. 7) consists of a tubular connecting block 50 formediwith ashouldered head 51 at the lower end to engage the orifice in the crossportion 17 of the pull bar, and a threaded section above the plane ofthe top of the pull s bar to receive alock nut 52. Above the planethreaded end of the shackle bolt, a lock nut being employed abovetheconnecting block to vsecure it against disengagement.

The4 lower ends of the sidev portions of the pull bar are also formed,with al connecting f cross portion 18 which is formed with a pairofxbearing lugs 19-19 between which are pivoted one pair of the upperoating pulleys abovereferred to. The pulleys of each pair are in thepresent instance, though not necessarily, of identical construction andare independently rotatable on a common axis. It will be noted that thepairs of pulleys are arranged in two-rows of Athree pairs each, thepulleys of each rowbeing parallel and the pairs being arranged instaggered relation. For convenience of description, the twelve upperpulleys are severally marked 20 to 31 reading from left to right asviewed in Fig. 3.

The twelve lower pulleys (severally marked 32 to 43) are likewisearranged in pairs, and are so arranged angularly with relation to theYupper pulleys that loops of Ythe equalizing cable 44 engaging the lowerpulleys will track upwardly to different upper- 'pulleysabove them. Theequalizing cable is ,provided with sockets 45, and 46a?.A

28.A lt. will be noted. that the pulleys v4,212ll1d 43, provide meansadjacentfthe centenof the length of the equalizing cable for equalizingthe Streisand. accommodating any stretch- `which mayoccur andwillfunction the same at yall tunes regardless of the amount. of

`stretch on either'side ofthe pulleys.

I claim 1.v An (squali-zing device for connecting an elevator ca r to agroup of hoistingropes comprising a pluralityf offpairs of contiguousparalleliloatingupper pulleys connected one pair. to each of .said roes, a plurality of kpairs of contiguous paral el other lower pulleyspivotallyr connected to the car, one or more single. pulleys lyinginfoneplane-'i11- dividually pivoted ta the car, and an equalizing cableanchored tothe car at its ends Aand engaging 4fromits point of anchorageat "l each end one member of each 4of said pairs -ofupper pulleys'andpairs of lower pulleys in alternation Vand adjacent the centerpoint ofAits length engaging. said individually mounted pulleys.

2. An equalizing' device for-connecting an elevatorcar to ka group. of-`hoistingA Aropes comprising a plurality of pairs of contiguous parallelfloating upper pnlleysfconnected onepair to. each of s aid'ropes \ayplurality" of pairs of contiguous parallel otherlower pulley'spivotally-y connected to; the car, two

single pulleys individually pivotedj Ito; .the ear in a commonplaneaandan equalgzng @ablefanchored t@ the caratits .cada and-en gaging from itspoint of anchorage at each end one member of each of said pairs of upperpulleys and pairs of lower pulleys in alternation and adjacent thecenter point of its length engaging said two single pulleys and trackingfrom one such pulley to one member of a pair of upper pulleys andtracking from the other such pulley to one member of another pair ofupper pulleys. p

3. An equalizing device according to claim 1 in which the half of theequalizing cable leading from one end anchorage to the centralindividually mounted pulleys, and the half of the cable leading fromsaid central pulleys to the other end anchorage track in the same orderin adjacent Zig-zag paths between the upper and lower pairs of pulleys.4. In a sup-porting frame assembly for an equalizing device arranged tobe secured to a pair of spaced cross-head members of an elevator car, apair of oriiiced cross-bars extending under and secured to saidcrosshead members a channel-iron plate having its side flanges cut awayrto provide projecting ends extending from the body of the plate, saidends extending through the orifices of said cross-bars, and a bearingplate seated within the flanges of said channel-iron plate n and securedthereto formed with bearings.

5. A supporting frame and guide plate assembly for an equalizing devicearranged to be secured to a pair of spaced cross-head members of anelevator car comprising a pair of orificed cross-bars extending underand secured to said cross-head members, an orificed channel-iron platehaving its side A flanges cut away to provide projecting ends extendingfrom the body of the plate, said ends extending through the orifices ofsaid lower cross-bars, an oriiiced bearing plate seated within theflanges'of said channel-iron plate formed with bearings, frame boltsengaging the orifices of said channel-iron plate and bearing plate andarranged to secure said plates together, and a guide frame secured tosaid bolts.

6. A supporting frame and guide frame assembly for an equalizing devicearranged to be secured to a pair of spaced cross-head clamp said platestogether, and a guide frame Y secured to said bolts.

7. In an equalizing device of the character described and includinghoistingropes and floating pulleys and equalizing rigging, means forconnecting the hoisting ropes individually to the floating pulleysincluding a pull bar formed with an upper cross-portion arranged to besecured to the associated rope, opposite parallel side portions, and alower cross-portion formed with depending4 lugs provided with bearingsfor the associated pulley.

8. In an equalizing device of the character described and includinghoisting ropes and fioating pulleys and equalizing rigging, means forconnecting the hoisting ropes individually to the floating pulleysincluding a pull bar formed with an orificed upper cross portion, sideportions and bearing portions at the bottom of said side portions, saidupper cross-portion being equipped with a tubular interiorly threadedconnecting block formed with a lower shouldered head and an exteriorlythreaded section provided with a lock nut above said cross-portion ofthe pull bar and a polygonal section above said threaded section, and ashackle bolt arranged to engage the threaded bore of said connectingblock, said shackle bolt being connected to the associated rope.

In'testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

WILLIAM P. FROST.

